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Culture-specific items in the Swedish and Hungarian translations of Erich Kästner's book Fabian: The Story of a Moralist (Going to the Dogs: The Story of a Moralist)
No full textKulturspecifika fraser och begrepp är starkt knutna till en viss kultur eller flera kulturer. De kan innebära betydande utmaningar vid översättning, särskilt när målspråket är kulturellt avlägset från källspråket. I detta arbete identifierar och undersöker jag kulturspecifika uttryck i Erich Kästners roman Fabian: Die Geschichte eines Moralisten (svensk titel: Fabian: berättelsen om en moralist), med särskilt fokus på den rekonstruerade originalversionen Der Gang vor die Hunde (2013). Med hjälp av etablerade metoder inom samtida översättningsvetenskap jämför jag de strategier som användes för att överföra kulturspecifika element från det tyska originalet till den svenska översättningen Ur-Fabian: vid avgrunden (2022) och den ungerska översättningen Ebek harmincadja (2023). Min analys visar att båda översättningarna var ganska trogna originalet, den svenska versionen tenderar dock att ersätta vissa uttryck med liknande termer eller fraser.Culture-specific items are terms and concepts strictly tied to a specific culture or cultures. They can pose significant challenges in translation, particularly when the target language is culturally distant from the source language. In this work, I identify and examine culture-specific items in Erich Kästner's novel Fabian. Die Gesischte eines Moralisten (English title: Fabian: The Story of a Moralist), focusing specifically on its 2013 reconstructed original version, Der Gang vor die Hunde (English title: Going to the Dogs: The Story of a Moralist). Using established methods in contemporary translation studies, I compare the strategies used to transfer culture-specific items from the German original into the 2022 Swedish translation Ur-Fabian: vid avgrunden and the 2023 Hungarian translation Ebek harmincadja. My analysis shows that both translations were rather faithful to the original; the Swedish version, however, tends to replace some expressions with associated terms or phrases.Kulturspezifika sind Phrasen und Begriffe, die eng an eine bestimmte Kultur oder mehrere Kulturen verknüpft sind. Ihre Übersetzung kann erhebliche Herausforderungen mit sich bringen, insbesondere wenn die Zielsprache kulturell weit von der Ausgangssprache entfernt ist. In dieser Arbeit identifiziere und untersuche ich deutsche Kulturspezifika in Erich Kästners Roman Fabian. Die Geschichte eines Moralisten, mit besonderem Fokus auf die rekonstruierte Urfassung Der Gang vor die Hunde (2013). Mithilfe etablierter Methoden der zeitgenössischen Übersetzungswissenschaft vergleiche ich die Strategien, mit denen Kulturspezifika aus dem deutschen Original in die schwedische Übersetzung Ur-Fabian: vid avgrunden (2022) und die ungarische Übersetzung Ebek harmincadja (2023) übertragen wurden. Meine Analyse zeigt, dass beide Übersetzungen dem Original ziemlich treu geblieben sind, in der schwedischen Version werden jedoch einige Ausdrücke durch assoziierte Begriffe oder Ausdrücke ersetzt.A kultúraspecifikus elemek olyan kifejezések és fogalmak, amelyek szorosan kötődnek egy adott kultúrához vagy kultúrákhoz. Ezek lefordítása komoly kihívást jelenthet, különösen akkor, ha a célnyelv kulturálisan távol áll a forrásnyelvtől. Jelen munkámban az Erich Kästner Fabian. Die Geschichte eines Moralisten (magyar cím: Fabian, egy moralista regénye) című regényében található kultúraspecifikus elemeket azonosítom be és elemzem, különös tekintettel a mű 2013-as, Der Gang vor die Hunde címet viselő rekonstruált ősváltozatára. A kortárs fordítástudomány bevett módszerei segítségével összehasonlítom azon stratégiákat, amelyekkel az eredeti német műben lévő kultúraspecifikus elemek átültetésre kerültek a 2022-es Ur-Fabian: vid avgrunden című svéd, illetve a 2023-as Ebek harmincadja című magyar fordításba. Elemzésem azt mutatja, hogy mindkét fordítás meglehetősen hű maradt az eredetihez, a svéd változat azonban hajlamos egyes kifejezéseket kapcsolódó kifejezésekkel helyettesíteni
Stable roles and agile structures: Temporal robustness in public administration networks
No full textThe pursuit of public governance by public administration institutions requires the requisite expertise, which may be in short supply. We offer a novel study of expertise mobilization in trans-governmental administrative networks and ask: How is administrative expertise shared in European trans-governmental networks, and what explains the structure of interactions and the over-time dynamics? We answer these questions by theorizing and empirically analyzing interactions among European Union member states in the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument. Established by the European Commission, its purpose is to assist member states in implementing and enforcing the EU acquis. We develop a theoretical framework on temporal robustness of administrative networks, which encompasses networks’ ability to combine stability and change over time. We demonstrate that trans-governmental administrative networks allow for the coexistence of stable roles of member states within agile network structures, even amid political perturbations and discontinuities
Literary Gestures : Movements in Language in the Works of Michaux, Kafka, Sarraute and Norén
No full textThis thesis examines what “literary gestures” in modernism are and can be. It concentrates on texts written by four authors: Henri Michaux, Franz Kafka, Nathalie Sarraute and Lars Norén. The focus lies primarily on the ways in which literature tries to gesture, a complex and problematic practice. The analysis of how gestures are used in different ways in the works of these writers, also interrogates the possibility that the various use of gesture in their texts could point towards a more widespread tendency in literary modernism. The inquiry is carried out against the backdrop of a historical shift in how gestures emerge and are represented in the arts at the turn of the last century. In literature, depicted gestures seem to lose their connection to convention, and become more alien to common definitions of gestures. Literary modernism can be described as a turn from meaning to form, sometimes as a consequence of a crisis of language. On a wider scale, this crisis relates to how language turns into the object as much as the medium of literature. These circumstances compel literature to reinvent itself and this thesis proposes that literary gestures is one way. There are no literal gestures – mute, bodily movements – in literature. Literary gesture is a contradiction in terms. This makes the endeavors of Michaux, Kafka, Sarraute and Norén interesting. In their texts, gestures are at work on three assumed levels: as a theme, as a form and as something suggesting a proximity to the body. They all wrote in different genres and worked in different media. In this account, the organization of this diverse material, written in three different languages, is essential to expose the breadth and the ambiguity of what literary gestures in modernism are and can be. The theoretical framework of the thesis consists of three parts: Giorgio Agamben’s definition of gesture, theories of performativity and Theodor W. Adorno’s critical theories on modern art. In the analytical chapters, these theories are put to work, in order to articulate the relation between gesture and language as a complex problem. The first chapter centers on Michaux’s Mouvements (1951), a book combining a long poem and ink-drawings. Michaux’s dream of a new language – before words and closer to the body – and his continuous conflict with words, expose a dilemma of literary gestures. The second chapter focuses on Kafka’s prose, in which this dilemma is already emphasized. Bodies and their movements amass in Kafka’s writings. But rather than promise a solution to the crisis of language, they cause the reading subject to confront its own shortcomings. The third chapter centers on Sarraute’s prose. It states, via the concept of infancy, that Sarraute’s gestures are related to speech. Sarraute’s literary gestures are both visible and audible, and they work as a means to break through the surface of common speech. The fourth chapter deals with plays and poems among the vast writings of Norén. The gestures of Norén’s work function as an impulse to force literature beyond words. The analysis shows that this impulse does not stem from the intentional writing subject, but rather comes from the texts’ way of relating to reality. In conclusion, the question of what literary gestures in modernism are and can be, is re-stated, discussed and answered
Think Right, Not More: Test-Time Scaling for Numerical Claim Verification
No full textFact-checking real-world claims, particularly numerical claims, is inherently complex that require multistep reasoning and numerical reasoning for verifying diverse aspects of the claim. Although large language models (LLMs) including reasoning models have made tremendous advances, they still fall short on fact-checking real-world claims that require a combination of compositional and numerical reasoning. They are unable to understand nuance of numerical aspects, and are also susceptible to the reasoning drift issue, where the model is unable to contextualize diverse information resulting in misinterpretation and backtracking of reasoning process. In this work, we systematically explore scaling test-time compute (TTS) for LLMs on the task of fact-checking complex numerical claims, which entails eliciting multiple reasoning paths from an LLM. We train a verifier model (VERIFIERFC) to navigate this space of possible reasoning paths and select one that could lead to the correct verdict. We observe that TTS helps mitigate the reasoning drift issue, leading to significant performance gains for fact-checking numerical claims. To improve compute efficiency in TTS, we introduce an adaptive mechanism that performs TTS selectively based on the perceived complexity of the claim. This approach achieves 1.8x higher efficiency than standard TTS, while delivering a notable 18.8% performance improvement over single-shot claim verification methods. Our code and data can be found at https://github.com/VenkteshV/VerifierFCPublished at EMNLP 2025</p
Youth in Transition: Navigating Life and Aspiration in Informal Settlements : An Ethnographic Study of Youth Aspirations in Kibera
No full textThis thesis examines how young people articulate their aspirations and dreams in an informal settlement. Based on an ethnographic field study in Kibera, Kenya, that spanned from January to March in 2025, it focuses on how aspirations and dreams are created and attempted to be realized by youths living in the social context of an informal settlement. The study also sheds light on the role of a local non-governmental organization in shaping aspirations, in a context where social networks are seen as a crucial part of everyday life. The theoretical framework draws on literature concerning migration, youth and aspirations. The analysis examines the tension between the capacity to aspire and the ability to realize the aspirations, discussing whether aspirations in informal settlements in relation to an unequal global order are nothing but cruel optimism. The study concludes that aspirations are best understood as something shaped by the social context, affecting youths' outlook on the future with a prominent focus on leaving and giving back to the origin community. Organizations can play a meaningful role in creating both the capacity and ability to aspire through financial means or expanded social networks, but mainly in the youth’s existing social context, in Kibera.
On double chains and inverse double chains of modules over a commutative ring
No full textWe consider infinite double chains ⋯ −1 ⊂ 0 ⊂ 1 ⊂ ⋯ and infinite inverse double chains 0 ⊂ 1 ⊂ 2 ⊂ ⋯⋯ ⊂ 2 ⊂ 1 ⊂ 0 of submodules of a module M over a commutative ring R. We shall give conditions under which such chains exist. Examples show that they do not always exist even though M satisfies neither the ascending nor the descending chain conditions. The concepts of m-minimal and m-maximal submodules will be introduced as main tools. Also we shall give conditions under which a Noetherian module is Artinian and conditions under which an Artinian module is Noetherian
In the Shadow of a Man : A Gender-Critical Study of the Swedish Drama- and Performing Arts Canon, with a Focus on the 1880s
No full textMy overarching aim is to analyse how Swedish historiography and research, in interaction with the theatre, have influenced perceptions of Swedish drama of the 1880s and its impact on the theatrical repertoire. The dissertation proceeds from the premise that there exists, in both historiography and the theatre, a discourse which, through reciprocal reinforcement, is grounded in the power of criticism to distinguish between ‘good’ dramatists and drama of ‘high quality’ and ‘bad’ dramatists and drama of ‘low quality’. I follow four plays that had their world premières in Sweden in the 1880s and became immediate popular successes: Alfhild Agrell’s ‘Saved’ (Räddad), première 1882; Anne Charlotte Leffler’s ‘A Saving Angel’ (En räddande engel), première 1883; Victoria Benedictsson’s ‘On Telephone’ (I telefon), première 1887; and August Strindberg’s ‘Lucy-Per’s Yourney’ (Lycko-Pers resa), première 1883. I trace these plays from their reception by contemporary theatre and literary criticism, through their subsequent transmission in historiography, to their presence in the theatrical repertoire. My analysis shows that historiography and canonisation constitute a gender-specific process. Works by women dramatists that problematised the traditional gender order and became immediate major successes did not pass unnoticed. On the contrary, at this time the theatre was a powerful public medium and therefore important to monitor— a gender conflict arose— which activated the normative formula ‘man A and woman B’. Male critics and authors, drawing on Darwin’s evolutionary theories concerning the sexes as species-distinct, set about polarising female–male dramatists and politics–aesthetics, with the aim of reinstalling the male dramatist, and the genres in which they operated, as the norm. Historians, chiefly male, subsequently adopted the male position in the 1880s gender conflict and consolidated it with the pejorative prefix ‘indignation’ as an ‘objective truth’; a discourse against which, above all, the Strindberg discourse positioned itself. This gender-binary polarisation entailed that the works of the women dramatists of the 1880s, and the genres that in time came to be classified as feminine, were marginalised as unartistic, which in various ways weakened their position in the theatrical repertoire. It was only in the 1970s, during the second wave of feminism, that sociologically and historically oriented scholars began to protest against the established gender-binary historiography. They re-evaluated women authors’ drama and its significance for Swedish literary and theatre history. Nevertheless, it was not until the turn of the millennium that this research had a clear impact on the repertoire and the public gained access to our shared cultural heritage
The two sides of the translation coin : Subtitles in Swedish and German-speaking countries
No full textDiese Bachelorarbeit untersucht die Unterschiede zwischen schwedischen und deutschen Untertiteln im Kontext der öffentlich-rechtlichen Sender und konzentriert sich dabei auf technische, lexikalische und kulturelle Aspekte wie Standzeiten, Schimpfwörter, Abkürzungen und extralinguistische kulturelle Referenzen (ECRs). Die Forschungsfrage lautet, wie und warum sich Untertitel in diesen Sprachräumen unterscheiden, wobei historische Traditionen und audiovisuelle Übersetzungsnormen berücksichtigt werden. Die Studie verwendet einen Mixed-Methods-Ansatz mit einer qualitativen Dokumentenanalyse von Untertitelungsrichtlinien schwedischer (z. B. SVT, Mediatextarna) und deutschsprachiger (z. B. ORF, AVÜ-Filmübersetzer*innen) öffentlich-rechtlichen Sendern, ergänzt durch eine empirische Analyse von Nachrichten Sendungen von ORF, ZDF und SVT. Theoretische Grundlagen sind die audiovisuelle Übersetzungswissenschaft, die Skopostheorie und ECRs. Die zentralen Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Richtlinien in beiden Sprachräumen zwar die Lesbarkeit und Wiedergabetreue betonen, die praktische Umsetzung jedoch divergiert. Deutsche Untertitel halten sich an strengere Zeichengrenzen (37-42 pro Zeile) und höhere Lesegeschwindigkeiten (13-15 CPS), wobei Schimpfwörter aus Gründen der Authentizität beibehalten werden. Die schwedischen Richtlinien legen den Schwerpunkt auf einen natürlichen Sprachfluss und die Minimierung von Schimpfwörtern. Dennoch überschreiten die automatisierten Untertitel häufig die empfohlenen CPS-Standards (bis zu 34,5 CPS), was die Zugänglichkeit untergräbt. ECRs wurden überwiegend durch Zurückhaltung, direkte Übersetzung oder offizielle Äquivalente übersetzt, was den informativen Skopos von Nachrichtengenres widerspiegelt. Die Studie kommt zu dem Schluss, dass kulturhistorische Faktoren die Untertitelungsnormen prägen, aber technische Unstimmigkeiten, insbesondere bei automatisierten Prozessen, den barrierefreien Zugang beeinträchtigen. Trotz der theoretischen Ausrichtung an den Skopos-Prinzipien wird die Lesbarkeit in der praktischen Umsetzung oft vernachlässigt, was eine Lücke zwischen Richtlinien und praktischer Anwendung aufzeigt. This bachelor’s thesis investigates the differences between Swedish and German subtitles in the context of public-service broadcasting, focusing on technical, lexical, and cultural aspects such as display times, swearwords, abbreviations, and Extralinguistic Cultural References (ECRs). The research question examines how and why subtitles differ across these linguistic regions, considering historical traditions and audiovisual translation norms. The study employs a mixed-methods approach with a qualitative document analysis of subtitling guidelines from Swedish (e.g., SVT, Mediatextarna) and German-speaking (e.g., ORF, AVÜFilmübersetzer*innen) public broadcasters, supplemented by an empirical analysis of news segments from ORF, ZDF and SVT. The theoretical frameworks include Skopos theory, audiovisual translation studies, and Pedersen’s lists and definitions of ECRs. Key findings reveal that while guidelines in both regions emphasize readability and fidelity, practical implementation diverges. German subtitles adhere to stricter character limits (37–42 per line) and higher reading speeds (13–15 CPS), retaining swearwords for authenticity. Swedish guidelines prioritize natural fluency and minimize offensive language, yet automated subtitles often exceed recommended CPS standards (up to 34.5 CPS), undermining accessibility. ECRs were predominantly translated via retention, direct translation, or official equivalents, reflecting the informative skopos of news genres. The study concludes that cultural-historical factors shape subtitling norms, but technical inconsistencies, particularly in automated processes, compromise the barrier-free access. Despite theoretical alignment with Skopos principles, practical execution often neglects readability, highlighting a gap between guidelines and real-world application.
A study on the challenges of ERP-centric master data management
No full textMaster data is considered critical business information that supports an enterprise's transactional and analytical processes. Master Data Management (MDM) combines applications and technologies to consolidate, cleanse, and enhance company data while synchronizing it through all applications, business processes, including analytical tools. This results in significant improvements in operational efficiency, more accurate reporting, and strategic decision-making. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems facilitate an integrated, cross-functional software that automates and streamlines core business processes such as manufacturing, finance, and human resources and offers an enterprise view of the business rather than isolated silos. Master Data Management (MDM) is a critical function supported by modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, especially in cloud environments where the ERP system serves as the central platform for managing and governing master data. This study addresses the question, `What are the challenges of ERP-centric master data management? ´ To provide an answer, the research strategy employed for this study was a case study, focusing on a pharmaceutical company that employs an ERP-centric Master Data Management approach. Data was collected through the semi-structured interview. The participants were selected based on their relevant experiences and demonstrated expertise in master data management. Thematic data analysis was employed to analyse the collected qualitative data and to identify the prominent themes of challenges. The study was solely concerned with the operational aspect and the challenges encountered during ERP-centric MDM. The study revealed the key challenges associated with ERP-centric MDM. These included ‘siloed organizational structures and cultural resistance, data processing challenges, data quality management issues, lack of data ownership and accountability, varying data definitions and standards, lack of an effective data governance model, increased complexity in data integration, inadequate data security and privacy, data migration issues and legacy systems, unreliable data sources, and adverse effects of mergers and acquisitions. Further study is required to scientifically evaluate the challenges with different ERP-centric MDM systems in diverse business contexts other than the pharma industry. The lack of a formal master data governance model and managing cultural resistance during MDM implementation in ERP environments can be empirically evaluated in the future. The findings of this research will be of interest to a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including companies, ERP consultants, researchers, IT and data professionals, and ERP software vendors
Motivational Orientations and Academic Achievement in Year-9 Students Learning English : A correlation and comparison study of independent and municipal schools
No full textMotivational factors have for a long time played a key role in language learning, helping to explain what drives students to learning a language in a school setting. And in connection, Academic Achievement is another factor that has also been widely studied in this context. Even though there have been studies that have explored the motivation–achievement link, the relationship has not been researched enough, especially among Swedish students in different school types. This study explores the correlation between Motivational Orientations and Academic Achievement in English among Swedish Year-9 students while also comparing and identifying differences between independent and municipal schools. The study’s survey incorporated the notion of Motivational Orientations (MOs) established by Stajic (2021) and analysed survey responses from a total of 88 students which was quite evenly spread among the two different school types, examining their Motivational Orientations and self-reported Academic Achievement levels. Statistical analyses included correlation and t-tests to identify significant differences. The results revealed weak correlations between Motivational Orientations and Academic Achievement overall, with Instrumental MO and Knowledge MO showing the strongest correlation. When comparing the two school types on these factors separately, independent school students reported higher levels of Instrumental MO and Academic Achievement especially in English grades, indicating that factors other than motivation like teaching standards, organisational structures or grading practices may be the reason for these differences and may play a significant role in influencing students’ academic success. These findings therefore suggest that educators and researchers should look beyond motivation to address the reasons behind students' Academic Achievement levels in different school types and look at these other factors to consider such as teaching quality, organisational structures, and grade inflation as future research aspects.